Rank Species | Genus Atethmia Order Butterflies and moths | |
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Similar Butterflies and moths, Tiliacea aurago, Xanthia icteritia, Conistra erythrocephala, Conistra ligula | ||
The Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe except Scandinavia and Italy; also in Asia Minor, Armenia, Syria and Palestine.
Description
The wingspan is 32–36 mm.Forewing deep yellow, with a greyish purple central fascia,terminal area beyond submarginal line of the same colour; the central fascia is edged inwardly by a pale vertical inner line, and outwardly by an obliquely sinuous outer line; the fascia does not reach above the middle except beyond the reniform stigma which is similarly coloured; fringe greyish purple; a small dark spot shows at base of cell; hindwing dull white, becoming yellowish rufous towards termen; the whole forewing is sometimes suffused with purplish, only the two lines showing yellowish and the central fascia darker; the hindwing redder; this is ab. unicolor Stgr.; — pallida Stgr. from Asia Minor is a paler form, reddish or greyish ochreous in the forewing, with the hindwing whiter; — maculifera Stgr. from Syria and Palestine is also a paler but yellowish form, with the reniform stigma large and dark, and the outer pale line more strongly excurved above; the hindwing greyish yellow; the forewing shorter with less produced apex.
The length of the forewings is 15–18 mm. The moth flies in one generation in from August to early October [1].
The caterpillars mainly feed on ash.
